Stanford Information Security

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Stanford Information Security

• Managing at Stanford
• July 14, 2005
• David Hoffman
• Associate Information Security Officer

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How do identity thieves exploit your computer?

• Sniffing
• Spyware
• Phishing
• Pharming

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Sniffing

• Watching network traffic coming from your
  computer
• No direct access required
• Can be passive or active
• Wired or Wireless

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Preventing Sniffing

• Always look for the SSL lock, and verify that
  the URL is correct and uses https//
• Norton Privacy Control, McAfee Privacy Service,
  etc.

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Spyware

• Monitors your activity on your computer
• Installed by intrusion or by trickery
• Can be just slimy, or sinister
• What does it look like?

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Preventing Spyware

• Be careful what software you install.
• Keep your system patched and virus-free
• BigFix
• Windows Automatic Updates
• Symantec Anti-Virus, etc.
• Regular cleanings
• Spy Sweeper
• Spybot Search Destroy
• Microsoft MSRT

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Phishing

• Email message purports to be from a bank or a
  store.
• Asks you to click on a legitimate-looking link.
• Link actually goes to attackers fake copy of the
  real web site, where youll be asked for private
  information.

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Checking server whois.melbourneit.com Results
Domain Name.......... verifyaccountlogin.com
Creation Date........ 2004-12-02 Registration
Date.... 2004-12-02 Expiry Date..........
2005-12-02 Organisation Name.... Sean
Lefkovitz Organisation Address. 55 west
chestnut apt 1301 Organisation Address.
Organisation Address. chicago Organisation
Address. 60610 Organisation Address. IL
Organisation Address. UNITED STATES Admin
Name........... Sean Lefkovitz Admin
Address........ 55 west chestnut apt 1301 Admin
Address........ Admin Address........ chicago
Admin Address........ 60610 Admin
Address........ IL Admin Address........ UNITED
STATES Admin Email.......... makingbig_at_yahoo.co.
uk Admin Phone.......... [phone] Admin
Fax............
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Preventing Phishing

• Dont talk to strangers!
• Check the links.
• If you want to be certain, type the URL yourself
• If you didnt initiate contact, dont click just
  because they tell you to.

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Pharming

• Redirecting your browser by force
• DNS poisoning
• Cant fool HTTPS
• or can it? MarketScore

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Preventing Pharming

• Check the locks
• Desktop management practices
• Keep it minimal
• Keep it uniform
• Keep an eye on it

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Lets Be Careful Out There

• securecomputing.stanford.edu